On this date in 2017, Governor John Hickenlooper committed Colorado to the Paris Climate Accords after President Donald Trump recklessly pulled the United States out of the global agreement.
“The urgency to tackle climate change, the existential threat of our time, has only increased since we signed this executive order three years ago,” said Hickenlooper. “Washington Republicans have consistently rolled back environmental protections as the window to prevent catastrophic climate change closes. In the Senate, I will fight for a bold transition to a 100% renewable energy economy with net-zero emissions and to protect Colorado’s clean air and water.”
In addition to committing Colorado to dramatically cutting greenhouse gas emissions and shifting to clean energy sources, John successfully implemented the “gold standard” for methane regulations that later went on to be the national model in the United States and Canada. He also oversaw the retirement of two coal-fired power plants, moving them towards renewable energy and battery storage and helped create thousands of good-paying renewable energy jobs.
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